Ben's excited to be close to the Bowl and the Beach Park and is welcoming all to stop in and say Hi!

A Family BusinessBen Aipa was appreciative when his peers honored him for his innovative surfboard-shaping techniques and his dedication as a surfing coach.

He was positively stoked years ago when he was inducted into the International Surfing Hall of Fame, but it was only recently that Aipa received his greatest thrill, a quiet pleasure that any parent would envy.

Aipa has found a way to provide a living for his grown children while keeping them together as a family. It's an ohana on foam, the foam of the ocean and the foam of shaped surfboards, those fragile hand-crafted creations.

"Working with my dad is the coolest thing in the world," says professional surfer Akila Aipa, who shapes surfboards under his own Hawaiian Foamsmith logo.Newspaper story: Together again

Ben shaping a board, Lokelani Aipa designing Polynesian graphics

Ben at Kaisers, June 1976(Steve Wilkins Photography)

Ben Aipa is still out there surfing and coaching whenever the waves are any good and makes boards for core surfers in Hawaii and around the world.

You can order his logo T-shirts, tank tops, rash guards, board shorts and other cool surf wear online at AlaMoanaSurfboards or go by the Ala Moana Surfboards Shop located at:

The Past and The FutureBen Aipa recently moved to a new location close to the entrance to Honolulu International Airport. It's not covered in pictures like his old shop, which was like walking through a surfing museum. Ben still has plenty of stories to tell and pictures to show even though he has kept his walls clean and free of picutres, so far. Ben does not like to use e-mail, so you will have to call him or just stop by and check his new digs.

Please send comments and suggestions to the webmaster, or leave a message by clicking here. We are not an appraisal site, please do not send pictures of old boards asking for history or value, please contact Ben directly at (808) 589-0804 with any questions, as Ben does not have e-mail and I have no way to forward messages to him. Please don't be offended if you receive no reply to e-mails sent to the webmaster.

Features: Hand-foiled fiberglass fin set with curved side fins designed by Ben Aipa - It hooks onto the wave for more speed and control. Available in 4-3/4" size in black, white, or red, for FCS and Futures Fin system exclusively at Ben Aipa Surfboards and Ala Moana Surfboards.